Explosion in Cape Canaveral ahead of SpaceX Rocket Launch

The force of the blast shook buildings several miles away and sent a plume of smoke high above the complex.

The rocket operated by the aerospace company SpaceX has exploded on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral where it was being test-fired ahead of a launch.

In a statement, the company blamed the blast on “an anomaly” and said no-one had been injured.

It said the rocket’s payload, a satellite due to be launched on Saturday, was also destroyed.